The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-09-10
PROFESSIONAL SPIES.
A Calling That Is Considered Infamous by
Thousands of Good People.

Thousands of Good People.
Although the changes wrought by
time and social progress have elevated
into responsibility many professions
anciently regarded as infamous, and
converted into mere baseless prei:.dices
objections once by no means without
foundation. some are still honestly and
wholesomely detested.
That of spy, for instance. Involving
ideas of deceit, lying and treachery,
with which it is but too often associated,
it is at best tolerated as disagreeable
necessity. No man or woman likes to
be called a spy, and to be regarded as
a professional spy is to be infamous all
the world over
The purpose of the spy is not that Of
the detective only, who is secret and
watchful, but not necessarily treacher-
Gus. A genuine spy makes it his heart
less and cruel business to win confidence
only to betray ito enjoy hospitality
as Il guest that he may bring down ruin
upon his host and misery upon his fam
lily. He processes friendship 70 those
he is anxious to disgrace, ami affection
where his only intentions are those of
cold-blooded malignity. Whist could be
more vile or base?
And yet spies of the very gorst type
have existed in all classes oiSociety and
in all times. In Russia to tbs day there
are men and women of ne highest
rank who are not ashame. to act as
spies, secretly engaged by he chiefs of
police. and others who o such dirty
work as amateurs merelylo serve po-
litical ends, those of til government
or those of the secret asassins, called
Nihilists.
While the Bourbons were on the
French throne, and al through the
reigns Of Napoleon the Great and Ma
poleon the Little, spies lbounded. In
Austria they were for m,ny years not
less abundant, and alsoin Italy. Nor
are these hateful pests t, be found only
in their own country. They travel to
other lands in pursuit d their victims,
plotting and scheming to get them
within their craftily created tolls. Even
their employers regard them with sus-
picion, and those they most benefit are
often those who regard them with the
greatest contempt and disgust. In the
reign of Louis XVIII. tle Due Decazes
was once attacked, as head of the Par
islam police, by member of the Cham
Der of Deputies, who pointed out as
disgraceful to his department and their
government the vile characters he en-
ployed as spies for detecting crimes.
The Due replied sarcastically: SHOW
me the honest men who will undertake
their duties and l promise to employ
them y The retort was a crusher to
which the Deputy had no reply, for
| spies were then regarded as absolute
State necessities,
During the last French Empire you
| could not venture even in any private
assembly and utter safely any political
opinion if they CHANGED to be antago
istic to the Government, and it is said
that this policy was but continuance
of that adopted during the latter part
of the reign of King Louis Philippe,
when a complete network of espionage
surrounded every social circle and had
its representative in almost every home
1t was said that no reunion, private or
public, composed of more than a
certain number of people, ever took
place in Paris without the cognizance
and surveillance of the police. No
matter what the rank or position of the
giver of feast might be- he was COM
manded to forward certain number
of tickets to the Prefecture for guests
who were sure to arrive, courteous in
manner, fashionable in dress and APP
parently highly educated and very
agreeable men and momen of the
highest responsibility, but spies every
one.-LOndOn It'd BITS.